Such a method is known from JP-A-5-114,172. The known method serves for the manufacture of optical tape. Said method employs a cylinder of circular cross-section, the surface of the cylinder being formed with a matrix consisting of a pattern in the form of circles or a helix, which pattern comprises a structure of equispaced ridges and slots. This cylinder is pressed in a heated condition against an optical information carrier which at its side facing the cylinder carries a layer made up of a mixture of photopolymerizable molecules and a resin. At the same time this layer is irradiated with light to form the structure in the layer by means of a photoreaction. This method is proposed in order to form an optical information carrier with a pattern of guide tracks for a rotating optical read head. For this purpose, the ridges and slots extend at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal direction of the optical information carrier. The known method is not suitable for the production of large quantities of so-called prerecorded carriers for information such as movies, music or computer data.